


A path of Light or Darkness

by readwritebeawesome



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords
Genre: Alternate ending to story, Dark/evil Vio, M/M, sad stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-16
Updated: 2016-05-16
Packaged: 2018-06-08 22:04:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6875440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/readwritebeawesome/pseuds/readwritebeawesome
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two paths lay before Vio: a path of Light and a path of Darkness. Shadow's hands gripped his shoulders and his mouth was curled up in an eager smile.</p><p>Vio was smart--he knew which path was the right one. He knew that once he picked one there would be no going back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A path of Light or Darkness

Two paths were laid out before Vio: Light and Darkness. Shadow’s hands gripped his shoulders and his voice sank in his ears. “I want to hear it _all_. We’re so _similar_ , you and I.” Darkness seemed to seep out of Shadow and into Vio, bringing with it unfamiliar emotions he wasn’t used to feeling. His sword slipped out of his hand as Shadow’s arm wrapped around his shoulders.

“Maybe…maybe you’re right. The others would never listen to me anyway.”

Two paths were before him: one of Light and one of Darkness. Vio was smart—he knew which one was the right one.

 

Vio stepped back into the shadows as Blue and Red cried over the empty coffin they believed held their dead friend. They would realize quickly it was a fake of course, and then Big Poe would reveal himself.

“He won’t be able to defeat them,” he whispered. It was obvious—despite how they bickered Blue and Red had definitely grown closer.

Vio turned in time to see Shadow step out of the Darkness. “Well done,” he said. He smiled and grabbed his hand. “Now we step back and enjoy the show.”

 

Vio held the pulsing sword high in his hand, feeling the pulse run through his whole body.

“Stop that!” Shadow exclaimed, slamming his foot down on Red’s sword. “You’re a creature of Darkness now. Don’t forget that.”

The pulsing stopped and Vio lowered his sword and turned to Shadow. “I won’t.”

“Good.”

Vio would never forget where his loyalties lay, he would never turn back on his goal.

 

Green had always been a good sword fighter, and he had improved greatly by sparring with Blue. Vio however, was not weak. He had trained too, in his own way, and he was slowly overpowering him. The two of them moved together faster than any of the monsters they had fought when Vio was standing with them. He saw the look in Green’s eyes and knew he was going to try to finish the fight.

As they neared each other Vio flashed him a confident and reassuring smile, and when Green’s eyes widened he knew he had gotten through to him. As he drove his sword hilt into his stomach he knew he would tell Blue and Red that he was on their side, that he was helping them by getting close to the enemy.

As Green fell to the ground and Shadow led Vio back to the Fire Temple, he felt his pulse quicken with excitement. The easy part was over, now the hard part would begin.

 

The ropes had been far too tight and the lava made the air unbearably hot, but now Vio stood before Shadow with the three heroes, all of them wielding their Four Swords. Shadow’s eyes glowed with hatred and hurt.

“Oh Force!” Green shouted. “Give us Light!”

They pointed their swords at Shadow and Light erupted from them, blasting him away. He screamed as his body of Darkness disintegrated and burned away like paper in a fire.

As the volcano erupted the fairy spun around them and the scenery blurred and warped, and then solidified as a sunny field. The four of them stood up and dusted themselves off.

“We did it!” Red cheered. “We beat Shadow Link!”

“Yeah,” Vio said. “I thought I could do it by myself, but I was wrong. Thanks you guys.”

Then they were on top of him, hugging him and telling him how much they’d missed him. Vio smiled to himself.

Everything was going perfectly.

 

Green had said how he had realized he liked being part of a team, but it was more than that. He liked being part of a team of four—and only with Blue, Red and Vio. If Vio really had joined the Darkness and he’d had to kill him…he would never have been able to get over it. None of them would have.

He had a job to do as leader—he had to keep his team together. The four of them would never be separated ever again!

 

Blue looked to Vio with respect that hadn’t been there before. He understood now what Vio had been doing, and he knew he must have thought he was the only one who could pull it off, and he was probably right. Green was too noble to do anything like that, Red was too scared and Blue was, well…he had said he’d learned some patience but not _that_ much.

In some ways, Vio was the strongest of them all. But no matter what, they would always be strongest together—and that’s exactly how they would stay.

 

Red was beyond overjoyed that Vio was back! He had missed talking with him by the campfire while Green and Blue sparred in the background. He had missed the stories Vio would tell him as he read his books—tales of other heroes who had gone on quests to defeat evil with the help of a powerful sword.

He was going to help out more now—he would make sure Vio would never have to do anything so dangerous ever again! As he had told them, he would do his best to be tougher, he wouldn’t rely on them so much anymore. That way, Vio and the others would stay with him forever.

 

Shadow had told Vio about the Tower of Winds, but it was still so much taller than he had thought it would be. His legs ached and his breath was coming out in gasps. The others fared no better.

“How high up are we?” he asked. Red opened his mouth to answer when his eyes went wide suddenly and he pointed out the window.

“Look!” he exclaimed. “Look outside!”

The four of them crowded around the window to see clumps of white floating through the air.

“We’re in the clouds,” Vio said, his mouth hanging open in surprise. He hadn’t realized they’d climbed so high.

“Getting close!” Green declared. “But be more careful. The Maidens said that Darkness controls the Tower’s upper reaches. Danger could come from anywhere!”

Then they come to a large set of double doors. Blue pulled on them with all his might but they didn’t move, so Red pushed on them but they stayed still.

“No way!” Green gasped. “We’ll need at least _three_ jewels to open _that_!”

“Jewels?” Blue asked. “What?!”

Green reached into his tunic and held out a small jewel on a string around his neck. “The keys that open the seals in the Tower of Winds. Some knights of Hyrule carry them.”

“Now you think of that?!”

The four of them looked back down the many stairs they had climbed. “Do we _have_ to go back?” Red asked.

“There isn’t any other way.”

Before any of them could take a single step, a figure appeared down below—too far for them to see him clearly. “Cursed minions of Vaati!”

Vio’s eyes widened in surprise. There was no way.

“That voice…” Green mumbled.

The man stepped forward, close enough for them to see his face. “Prepare to perish on my sword.”

“F…father!”

 

When the four of them were Link, they had fought in sparring matches against their father. But a real fight? That was something Blue had never wanted—and he knew none of the others wanted it either. Green’s sword was shaking in his hands as he pointed it at their father. Blue glanced at Vio and Red, then back to Green and his father. His mind was made up.

He ran over and shoved Green out of the way, pointing his sword at his father. “You’re too _nice_ to do something like that. You’d just mess it up,” he said, smiling at Green. “ _I’m_ the one who’ll do _whatever_ it takes to win!” He understood why Vio had decided to deal with Shadow Link by himself, and he was going to deal with father by himself.

“And I will _not_ stand to see our father being _used_ like that!”

 

Shadow shivered as his body slid through the Dark Mirror and the light of the world struck his body. He collapsed shivering and wet on the floor. His limbs were weak and the cold winds struck at him. He opened his eyes between deep breaths and found himself staring at Princess Zelda, who was looking at him…with _pity_.

“What are _you_ looking at?!” he seethed. “Move it! Get _away_ from me! I won’t have your pity! Nothing hurts more…than pity! Curse you!”

Zelda’s eyes softened and she smiled at him. “Do you _really_ think the Light will hurt you? Don’t you see? _You_ are a Link too. Deep inside, you’re really a hero.”

Shadow’s head snapped up to stare at her with wide eyes. His mouth hung open and he tried to make words come out. Before he could though, a black cloud swept down and wrapped itself around Zelda.

“L…Link,” she whispered. Shadow stood up and stumbled forward.

“Dark Cloud, halt! What are you doing with the Princess?”

“As Lord Ganon commands. With the heroes’ defeat, Princess Zelda will be the last Light in Hyrule. A true world of Darkness begins with her demise.”

Shadow opened his mouth to protest, but stopped himself. It would be better, he reasoned, if she wasn’t there to see his plan. He clenched his jaw and stood up straighter. “Fine. I will wait here for the heroes, if they manage to defeat Vaati.”

“And just what will you manage in your pathetic state? Don’t worry, they won’t survive for much longer.”

Dark Cloud rose up quickly into the sky, carrying Zelda away with him. Shadow took a deep breath and looked around. Vio and the others were coming—he had to work quickly!

“A hero?!” he seethed. “Don’t kid yourself Princess.”

 

Vaati was tearing the towers apart, reaching with his arms to grab the four heroes. Vio grabbed Green’s arm and dragged him along, with Blue and Red following after them.

“Lead him to the top!” he shouted.

“What?!” Green exclaimed. “Why?!”

“Trust me! I have a plan!”

“Okay.” Determination flared in Green’s eyes and he smiled. “I trust you Vio.”

“Yeah!” Red said. “Let’s get him up there!”

The four of them ran up through the towers, dodging Vaati’s hands and the falling walls. It was an insane situation and they had too many close calls, but they kept going. Vio’s friends trusted him, and they were sure his plan would help bring down Vaati. They were right of course, Vio had calculated everything. Vaati would be defeated!

When they came to the top of the tower, they found Shadow standing next to the Dark Mirror. Vio immediately realized something was wrong—Shadow’s legs were shaking and his face was a couple shades too pale.

“Shadow Link!” Green exclaimed, pointing his sword at him.

“You’re here for round two huh?!” Blue shouted.

“Wait!” Vio grabbed Blue’s arm and pulled him back. “Look at him. He’s not in any condition to fight either of us.”

The three of them looked at Shadow and their eyes widened. Shadow glared at them and clutched his sword.

“I’m not _helpless_ Vio!” he snarled. He looked over the edge of the Tower and grinned. “And I can prove it to you. Here he comes!”

He had hardly finished his sentence when Vaati emerged, towering over them with his giant green eye burning with anger.

“I’ve got you now!” he roared.

“Do you really?” Shadow asked. He smiled and held up his sword. “Y’know what Vaati? I’ve had enough of you.”

“What?!”

Shadow’s sword and the Dark Mirror flashed in unison and Vaati cried out, his eye widening with fear.

“NO! TRAITOR! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS?! YOU WOULD TURN YOUR BACK ON THE DARKNESS?!”

“What can I say? I’ve found a better deal.”

Vaati howled as he was sealed away, and soon his howl faded away to nothing. Shadow lowered his sword and collapsed on the ground. Vio rushed towards him and helped him sit up.

“It worked,” Shadow said. He grinned and Vio and punched his fist in the air. “It worked! Did you see that?! Ha!”

“Yeah, you were great.”

“Hold up,” Green said. “I’m confused. What’s going on?”

“Sorry, I couldn’t tell you,” Vio said. “Shadow and I came up with this plan to seal Vaati away.”

“What? When?! And how…but…”

“We’ll explain it when this is over,” Shadow said. He rose shakily to his feet as he spoke.

“It’s not over?” Red asked. “But we just beat Vaati!”

“There’s more than Vaati,” Vio said.

As if on cue, dark clouds covered the sky and an ominous rumbling of thunder filled the air, and then _his_ voice came booming out.

“The wind mage was ineffectual! And the shadow is a traitor!” A lightning bolt shattered one of the pillars and a giant beast with the body of a man and the head of a boar appeared. “How demeaning that I, Ganon, must come out and squash these insects myself.”

“The King of Darkness?!” Green exclaimed.

“How are _we_ supposed to beat something like _that_?!” Blue shouted.

It certainly seemed hopeless, and Vio wondered if he had made a mistake. But then wind came out of their Four Swords.

“Blow away the clouds!” Shadow shouted. “Hurry!”

The four of them together waved their swords and the wind cleared the sky revealing…

“Zelda!”

She opened her eyes and held her hands to her chest. “Link, now! Strike Lord Ganon down now!”

The five of them combined their powers and pulled Ganon into the Four Sword. “Insolent fools! Pitiful insects like you cannot hold the King of Darkness! You _cannot_ bind my darkness! It will shine _forever_!”

His voice faded away to nothing and he was gone, sealed away. Zelda floated down to the ground and the four Links rushed to catch her. Shadow hung back at first, but she smiled and beckoned him closer.

“You’re hurt,” she said. “Here, let me heal you.” She held her hands over him and glowing magic washed over him. He flinched immediately and looked like he was in pain, and Vio realized Zelda’s magic was Light magic—it was painful for Shadow. It did heal him however and he looked completely rejuvenated.

“Amazing,” he said. “Such power…”

“I don’t really get how or why you’re on our side, “Green said, “But I’m glad you are. We couldn’t have won without you Shadow.”

“Yeah!” Red said. “Thank you!”

“I…you’re welcome.” Zelda smiled and placed her hand on Shadow’s shoulder.

“I told you you’re one of them,” she said. “You know what you can do now, don’t you? What life you can lead now?”

“Yes.” Shadow smiled and took her hand. “And I have no regrets about my choice.”

And before any of them could blink he grabbed her and placed his sword at her throat. Green, Blue and Red cried out and he jumped back a few steps until there was a good meter separating them. Vio grabbed Red’s Fire Rod and blew flames on the ground, lighting up a diagram of oil that surrounded Shadow and Zelda. He ran over to them and drew his sword.

 

Time seemed to slow down, and Green watched the scene unfold with horror. He wanted to look away, to close his eyes and open them to something different. But he knew that he wasn’t imagining what he saw.

Two swords pierced through Zelda: Shadow’s and Vio’s.

 

Zelda’s eyes widened in shock and her gaze locked with Vio’s.

“Why…?” she whispered.

“I’m sorry,” Vio said. “It’s nothing personal, there’s just so much that I can still achieve.”

Shadow looked past Vio and grinned. “Our audience has arrived just in time.” Vio looked behind him to see the knights of Hyrule—his father standing at the front—staring at them with looks of matching horror.

“Let’s get this over with.”

They ripped their swords out of Zelda and the diagram light up in black fire. The Princess screamed as power shot out of her and into Shadow and Vio. It was like being lit on fire, but being unable to scream. Vio was paralyzed as the power flowed into him, darkening as soon as it touched his skin. It was over in seconds but had felt like hours. But once it was done the pain was gone and replaced with something much better: power. So much power! Shadow had unearthed the desire for power and greatness Vio had always had, and now he was achieving it. They both were.

Shadow tilted his head back and let out a blood-curdling laugh. Vio grinned and joined in with his own chuckle as he turned to face his former friends.

“You bastard!” Blue shouted. “How could you?! You killed her! You betrayed us again?!”

“Again?” Vio’s eyebrows rose and his mouth stretched into a smirk. “Don’t be mistaken, I only ever betrayed you once when I joined Shadow. I never returned to you after that.”

“Why…why did you do this?!” Green asked.

“Do you remember what Shadow said about you three drowning me in a sea of mediocrity? He was right. I’ve always been capable of so much more than you. The fact that I could fool you so easy proves how beneath my potential you all are!”

“NO!” Red screamed. “Please tell me this isn’t really happening! Vio!”

“Grow up Red, this is real.”

“Oh, this power feels _amazing_!” Shadow cheered. “Who should I use it on first?!”

He turned to the knights and they all seemed to snap out of whatever shock held them in place. They charged at him, shouting a loud battle-cry. But Shadow just waved his hand and dark lightning blasted through and killed all of them…except for one.

“Father!” Green shouted, running to him. “Are you all right?!”

“I’m fine!” The man threw out his hand and glared at his son, who had stopped in his tracks. “Focus Link! We need to deal with those two quickly!”

But no sooner were the words out of his mouth that Vio was standing behind him, sword raised.

“You think you can stand up to us?! We are far above you father!” He brought his sword down—silver and cruel—and severed his father’s head.

“NO!!”

Blue was upon Vio, swinging his sword down with all his might only to have it blocked by Vio’s own. “You bastard! I trusted you!”

“That was your mistake. I would never have done something so foolish.”

In the background Shadow was keeping Green and Red occupied. They were dodging his blasts of magic and shouting and—in Red’s case—crying. Shadow was clearly toying with them—if he wanted to kill them they would be dead. He was just giving Vio time to talk with Blue.

“How could you kill him?!” Blue swung his sword and Vio blocked again. They began to dance around each other, swinging and blocking and dodging. “Our father! How could you kill your own flesh and blood?!”

“He would have dragged me down, just like you three.”

“I thought you understood…I thought you knew what we were fighting for!”

“I know what _I’m_ fighting for Blue! What you’re fighting for isn’t good enough!”

He pushed Blue back and sent him flying. Blue shouted in frustration and prepared to land on his feet, but he didn’t hit the ground. Shadow’s sword pierced his heart and his eyes widened in surprise before they glazed over and he was dropped to the ground.

“NOO!” Green shouted, jumping forward. Vio rushed over and caught his attack with his sword.

“You’re fighting _me_! And this time I really _will_ kill you!”

Their battle was fiercer than their last one—this time Vio wasn’t holding back. He wasn’t going to settle for knocking Green unconscious—he was going to kill him! Nothing was going to stop him; his strength had grown enormously with the power he had absorbed from Zelda. He quickly overcame Green and pushed him back and back until he had him pinned against a wall. He smiled as he drove his sword into his gut. Green’s eyes widened and he stared at him.

“You were a good leader Green,” Vio whispered. “But you weren’t good enough for me.”

Red cried out and Vio heard the sound of his body drop dead to the floor. He smiled and pulled his sword out of Green and—just for good measure—he drove it into him two more times. He watched him fall to the ground and grinned. But then he felt something wet on his face and his smile vanished. He was…crying. Suddenly a great pain erupted in him and he collapsed to the ground.

“Vio!” Shadow cried. He ran to him and grabbed his shoulders. “Vio, you’re okay! You don’t need them anymore! You have me!”

“I…I know.” Vio gasped as warm tears poured painfully out of his eyes. “I don’t…I don’t know…why this is…why is this happening?!”

“It’s okay now. Just let it go.”

Shadow’s lips pressed against Vio’s and he felt the pain in him freeze as though it was holding its breath. He wrapped his arms around Shadow and closed his eyes as they kissed. The pain fizzled and melted away and the flow of tears lessened until it stopped and the remaining ones dried on his cheeks only to be brushed away seconds later by Shadow’s hands.

“You’re okay,” he whispered. “We did it. We have everything now.”

“Yes.” Vio’s eyes swept over the dead bodies of his former friends and his father. “Everything.”

 

It was late when Vio woke. Shadow was curled up next to him, his chest rising with each slow breath. The night was silent and Vio couldn’t help but notice it. He used to like the silence, but ever since _that_ _day_ he had changed. When it was silent and he had nothing to distract himself, he felt…he felt like he wasn’t whole, like there were parts of him missing.

Being careful not to wake Shadow he got out of bed and quietly tip-toed downstairs. He went down to the Trophy Room—as Shadow had named it—where they kept the spoils of their conquers. There—right in front of the door—were the three biggest glass trophy cases that held their best prizes: the bodies of the three heroes and their Four Swords, preserved with dark magic.

Vio stopped and stared at them. Their eyes were open and they seemed to fixate on him—staring deep into his soul. His pulse quickened and he slowly shut his eyes.

“This is the path I chose,” he whispered. “There is nothing I can do for you three now.” He opened his eyes and took a shaky breath. “But you three will continue to torment me with this emptiness, won’t you?”

His eyes swept over them—cold and dead and yet _staring_ deep into his soul.

“You will never stop.” He turned away and walked out of the room. “…I probably deserve it.”

But this was the path he chose, and he could never go back. One path of Light, one of Darkness. He had chosen one and that was that.


End file.
